Jagdish Tytler moves court seeking permission to go abroad

New Delhi: Congress leader Jagdish Tytler who along with businessman Abhishek Verma was chargesheeted for alleged forgery of a letter sent to the Prime Minister, today moved a Delhi court seeking permission to go abroad for 22 days from December 11 to attend sports related events.

Tytler, in his application, said he has to go to Turkey, Istanbul to attend a meeting of the Interna ional Kurash Association (IKA) and the ninth world Kurash senior championship.

The former Union minister is the chairman of International Kurash Association, according to IKA web site.

He was granted bail in the case on September 30 on a personal bond of Rs two lakh with two sureties of the like amount.

“Allow the present application and permit the applicant (Tytler) to travel Turkey, Istanbul from December 11 and return back to India on January 1, 2014,” he said.

The Congress leader, in his plea, sought permission to go abroad to enable him to “attend the IKA Directing Committee meeting, the IKA XIV ordinary congress meeting and the IX world kurash senior championship.”

Special CBI Judge V K Gupta directed the CBI to file its response to Tytler’s plea and fixed the application forhearing on December 6.

“An application for permission to go abroad moved on behalf of accused Jagdish Tytler. Copy given. Put up for reply and arguments on the application on December 6,” the judge said.

During the hearing, Tytler and Verma, who is presently in judicial custody in connection with cases registered against him by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, were present in the courtroom.

The CBI told the court that they need some time to file their response on the plea filed by the accused seeking some deficient documents filed by the agency along with the charge sheet.

The court, however, directed the CBI to provide the documents in CD form to the accused and listed the matter for further hearing on December 10.

“Put up on December 10 for supply of CD in PDF form and for reply and arguments,” the judge said.

The court had on September 6 taken cognisance of CBI’s charge sheet which was filed on a complaint of the then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to the Prime Minister by Verma seeking easing of business visa norms in 2009.

Tytler and Verma have been chargesheeted for the offence of attempting to cheat under IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Verma is in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after having been arrested in connection with various cases lodged against him by CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

CBI has alleged that Tytler had “actively connived” with Verma to cheat a Chinese telecom firm and the Congress leader had first shown a “fake and forged” letter to the company’s officials, claiming it was written by Maken to the Prime Minister.

CBI, in its charge sheet, has said “investigation has, therefore, revealed that Jagdish Tytler had knowingly and actively connived with Abhishek Verma in attempting to cheat M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd.”

It had chargesheeted Tytler and Verma for their alleged attempt to cheat the Chinese firm on the issue of visa norms.